Cooking 101 - White Corn Tortilla Soup

BETTER than eating out.  WHAT??!!

Soup season is upon us, however this soup has no season - it's a year-round gourmet delicacy.

I LOVE ordering soup at my favorite restaurants, sampling various flavors and combinations, but THIS soup is better than most restaurant options - and you can make it at home!!  {air punch}

 And I'm not joking - this soup can rival *almost* anything.  Plus, it's super hearty so you don't need anything else besides a cheesey quesadilla.  It's a one-pot wonder.  And it's EASY!  

It kind of looks tomatoey, but it's not - don't be fooled.  That would be foolish.  

It's got this deep, rich flavor that comes from the corn tortillas, roasted chilies, and all of those veggies.

Like I said, the best way to eat it is paired with a good 'ol cheese quesadilla.  Buttered on one side, good cheddar cheese on the inside, cooked to a slight crisp on a seasoned cast iron griddle.  Perfection.

These little guys are the secret ingredient to most of my soups. (and pasta sauce)  Hatch green chilies.  

I get them on the side of the road here in my hometown, where they're roasted in this huge roaster.  They sit and sweat in a plastic bag and after FOUR excruciating HOURS of peeling the skin off chilies….

I have over 2 dozen baggies of chilies to put in the freezer.  We put these in everything and NOTHING, and I mean NOTHING can come close to the deep, rich flavor that these roasted Hatch chilies have.  (I get 'medium' because I'm not a fan of my mouth going numb, but they still have a lot of kick to them.)

This was my lunch….and I felt like I was eating at a gourmet restaurant.  It's easy, delicious, and if you make a double-batch (might as well, right?), you will have dinner in the freezer for those busy days.

WHITE CORN TORTILLA SOUP

Super easy - just a few steps and the work is done.

3 T. olive oil
1 ½ 7-inch white corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch squares
1 ½ T. minced garlic
½ of a medium onion, minced
2-3 roasted Hatch green chilies, diced (or two 4-oz. cans)
1 ½ T. minced jalapeno pepper (optional - I don't use these)
1 lb. white corn kernels, thawed or frozen - they both work
1 ½ lbs. chopped, ripe red tomatoes or 28 oz. diced tomatoes
⅓ c. tomato paste
2 ½ t. ground cumin
 1 T. salt
⅛ tsp. ground pepper
½ t. chili powder
1 ½ c. water
1 qt. chicken stock (or 4 c. water and 4 tsp. chicken base)
⅓ c. heavy cream

Garnish:  crushed tortilla chips, cheddar cheese, sour cream, chopped cilantro

Cheese Quesadillas:
Good flour tortillas, cheese, butter, and a griddle

Over medium high heat, fry tortilla squares in olive oil until they become crisp and turn a golden yellow.  Add garlic, onion, jalapeno, and green chilies; cook 1-2 minutes until onion becomes translucent.  Add half the corn along with all other ingredients (except garnishes), reserving the other half of the corn to be added at the end.  Bring the soup to a low, even boil; cook for about 20-30 minutes, or until all veggies are cooked and tender.  Remove soup from heat.  Using an imersion blender, puree the soup until smooth.  (You can also use a blender and work in batches).  Return the soup to the burner and add the reserved corn, bring to a boil, careful to avoid scorching.  Add heavy cream and use chicken base and/or salt to season.

Garnish and serve.

**Note:  If you're super busy and don't have time to babysit this soup, let it simmer on your lowest heat setting or put it all in the crockpot after you sautee your tortilla and veggies.  When you're ready to eat, just puree it and add the remaining corn and heavy cream.

Enjoy!!  Have a happy day!!